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Federalism in Pakistan: Problems & Prospects

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Federalism in Pakistan: Problems & Prospects ASIAN AND AFRICAN STUDIES, 11, 2002,1, 37-48 FEDERALISM IN PAKISTAN: PROBLEMS & PROSPECTS Mansoor Akbar Kundi Pakistan Studies Section, Edebiyat Faculty, Istanbul University, Beyazit, Istanbul, Turkey Relations between the federal-provinces have been a subject of political and constitutional de­ bate since the establishment of Pakistan in 1947. Pakistan, which is divided into four provinces, has been dominated by Punjab, the largest of four provinces, by predominant membership in the bu­ reaucracy and army. The other three units have shown their discontent over the allocation of powers between the federal government and the provinces and raised their voice for more autonomy and political safeguards. The praetorian character of Pakistan with the army ruling the country for most of the period has added to the problems of federalism. INTRODUCTION The adoption of a constitution is a momentous event in the life of a nation. A constitutional charter is a document of past struggles, achievements, issues, arguments and compromises which have been crystallized and purified. It is, at the same time, a practical machinery of government, a code of conduct for the statesmen of the present. It is also finally a symbol of hopes and aspirations to the entire nation it serves (Newmen 1980: 1). The major principle of a Federal government is the division of powers be­ tween the central government and its constituent units, better called federal units. The adoption of the Federal system as a leading form of the government by the majority of nation-states is a witness to the fact that it is more appropri­ ate for societies of a heterogeneous nature than the other forms of government such as the unitary state or confederation. A considerable number of nation­ states are composed of different ethnic, cultural and linguistic groups, and if the diversity of these groups is not united by a viable political system, the integra­ tion of a state may be at stake. A federal form of political system provides two divisible sets of subjects for the governance of a society. They are federal and state/provincial. There can be a third list of the subject, commonly known as concurrent, over which both fed­ eral and state governments can exercise power. Nonetheless, in the case of dif­ ferences over the exercise of power, the right of the federal government pre­ 37 vails. The two sets of governments under a federal system, however, derive their powers from a single source - the federal constitution (Scruton 1982: 170). The satisfactory functioning of a federal form of government, having emerged as a leading doctrine of politics and a successful mechanism of government to at­ tain political unity between various social entities should spring from the constitu­ tional foundations, and be duly safeguarded by an independent judicial system. As a case-study of Pakistan, a heterogeneous society divided into a number of ethnic and linguistic groups, federalism was regarded as an important means to achieve political harmony in the country. From the partition of Pakistan to the present, the question of federalism has been involved as an essential debate in all the constitutional discussions. The issue of federalism emerged on the politi­ cal scene as a leading demand from the very beginning, particularly by the small federal units in Pakistan as a device to safeguard their interests against the cen­ tral government where Punjab, the province with the largest population, has a decisive majority in the National Assembly and federal bureaucracy. The small provinces demanded adequate constitutional changes in running their ad­ ministrative and economic affairs (Shah 1994: 2). This paper is an attempt to analyse the issues of federalism in Pakistan. The paper will focus on the major constitutional developments made so far for the promotion of federalism, the problems of federalism, and the major issues and adjustment. THE PRE-PARTITION HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Demands were made for the promotion of federalism by the Muslim League, founded in 1906 as a leading political party of the Indian Muslims, during all the constitutional debates in British India. It worked independently, and jointly with the Indian National Congress for the promotion of federation in India. The 1909 constitutional reforms, better known as the Minto-Morley Reforms, were based on the demands raised by the Muslim League for separate electorates for the Indian Muslims to protect their interests in the provinces where they were in the minority. This demand, at the embryonic stage, was a demand raised jointly for federalism in India. A few years later, the joint mobilization of the All India Muslim League and the Congress for more seats for the Indians in the Central Legislature and sepa­ rate electorates, resulted in the famous Lucknow Pact of 1916. The Declaration of the Montgagu-Chelmsford Reforms in 1919 was the result of the united de­ mand by the two political groups for a federal system of government (Shah, 34). Although adequate measures were not taken by the British government in India for the fulfilment of the demands of the parties, seeds were sown for more pro­ vincial autonomy. Five years later, in the annual session of the All India Muslim League in May 1924, the League asked for broader provincial autonomy for the provinces. The Quaid-i-Azam proposed that constitutional arrangement be made for granting the residuary powers to the provinces by determining the excessive jurisdiction of the central government in the provinces (Pirzada 1986: 319) The 38 Quaid Azam’s famous Fourteen Points, in response to the Nehru Report in 1928, reiterated the demand for federalism in British India for maximum auton­ omy and residuary powers for the provinces. He demanded the abolition of Dyarchy system in the provinces. Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s historical Address in 1930 at Allahabad echoed the Muslim League’s aspiration for a federal system. A voice was raised that the territories of the Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, NWFP and Kashmir should be unified into a separate/autonomous state(s). Under the 1935 Government of India Act, based on the recommendations of the Simon Commission and the Round Table Conferences held in 1930 and 1931, the principles of federalism were adapted. There were three lists of pow­ ers: the Central, Provincial and the Concurrent. There was a separate division of Powers in case of the Centre and Provincial lists, however, under Concurrent list both the Centre and Provinces could exercise powers. The right of the Cen­ tral Legislature, however, was to prevail in the case of a conflict over the use of powers. Under the 1935 Act, the Governor General was vested with a large number of powers. He could authorize at his discretion, either the Federal Leg­ islative Council or a Provincial Assembly to enact on a subject not enumerated in the three lists. The Government of India Act 1935, later on to serve as an im­ portant constitutional document for both the dominions of British India, tended towards the centralization of powers in favour of the central government. But in fact the provisions of the act were not fully implemented. Section 5 of the Act of 1935, which provided for the setting up of what is called a “Federation of India”, was never implemented, as “the requirement of the accession of a specified number of princely states” was not met. Thus, the central govern­ ment in India continued to operate under the Act of 1919 till the powers were transferred in 1947 to India and Pakistan on independence (Baxter 1974:1145). The Constitutions of 1956 and 1962 contained the three lists of powers as feder­ al, provincial and concurrent for legislation; actually provided in the 1935 Act. CONSTITUTIONALISM VER FEDERALISM The adoption of a Federal form of government was deemed indispensable for the establishment of Pakistan. Federalism and Provincial autonomy had been political catchwords from the very beginning of Pakistan. No other matter bred such a controversy in the constitutional debates as did the central-units relation­ ship (Baxter, 1075). The principles of federalism, however, have been under­ mined since 1947. A large number of provincial leaders hoped, from the cre­ ation of the new nation, that the entrenched role of the central government would gradually decrease, but, to their dismay, it did not. The powers of the Central government were entrenched (Callard 1986:156). The constitutional cri­ sis developed soon after the First Constituent Assembly started functioning and political differences were voiced over the issues of federalism. The balance of the federal structure, which was in favour of the Centre, as provided in the 1935 Act, was continued as an integral part of the new country’s political system. The 39 central government was competent to allow the provinces a substantial measure of autonomy. The central government was capable of altering the interim consti­ tution by all means (Callard, 176). The Basic Principles Committee strongly recommended the adoption of the principles of federalism, nonetheless, they were mainly ignored. The 1956 Con­ stitution provided a federal form of government, with a strong role for the cen­ tral government. Under the One-Unit system adopted in 1954, Pakistan was di­ vided into two zones: East and West Pakistan. Under the Parity Formula, the National Assembly comprised 310 members. 150 were elected by popular vote from each unit, and 10 seats were reserved for women to be elected indirectly. Legislative powers were divided into three lists: Federal (30 items), Provincial (94 items) and Concurrent (19). In the case of a clash of interests over legisla­ tion on the Concurrent list, the right of the central government prevailed. The political crisis and instability of the constitutional government during the two years of the existence of the 1956 constitution dimmed the credibility of a healthy centre-provinces relationship.
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